No. 22 Ags ride three-game heater into neutral-site clash vs. Texas Tech

An occasional dry spell isn’t a big deal, but if they increase in volume, they become problematic.

Texas A&M endured dry spells in basketball losses to UCF and Oregon. However, the No. 22 Aggies (7-2) have made a point to discuss avoiding prolonged droughts.

“We’ve been talking about it,” A&M coach Buzz Williams said. “We’ve been actually watching it. Sometimes, players, if they trust you, will tell you some things that will help you as a coach.

“A lot of our conversations have become pretty raw and pretty transparent from that point forward which has been really healthy for us.”

The Aggies are on a healthy winning streak with consecutive victories over Creighton, Rutgers and Wake Forest. They aim to extend that streak on Sunday at 2 p.m. when they face Texas Tech (7-1) in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena.

When struggling offensively in a victory over Wake Forest and in a 71-54 win over Southern, the Aggies have compensated with suffocating defense.

Zoe Kelton, TexAgs

A&M and Texas Tech have not met on the hardwood in the regular season since the Ags beat the Red Raiders in 2012, 47-38.

A&M is ranked 51st in the nation in scoring defense, 20th in opponent field goal percentage and sixth in rebounding.

Last Tuesday, the Aggies defeated Wake Forest 57-44, holding them to 28.3 percent shooting and a season-low scoring output.

They figure to need another strong defensive effort against Texas Tech, which is averaging 86.9 points to rank 15th in the nation.

The Red Raiders have four players averaging in double figures. Forward JT Toppin, a 6-foot-9 forward who averages 18.6 points and 11 rebounds, sat out a 76-62 win over DePaul on Wednesday but is expected to be back in action vs. A&M.

Also, forward Darrion Williams averages 17.1 points, guard Chance McMillian averages 14.8, and guard Kevin Overton averages 11.0.

Though A&M relies heavily on defense, the Aggies certainly have the ability to match Texas Tech on the offensive end. The Aggies scored at least 77 points in impressive victories over Ohio State, Creighton and Rutgers.

They typically do damage on the offensive boards and at the foul line. A&M leads the nation in offensive rebounds with 17.1 per game. The Aggies are ranked 16th in free throws per game with 26.4.

They struggle with shooting percentage, especially from the 3-point line, but when getting second-chance points and a high volume of free throws, A&M is difficult to beat.

Indeed, the Aggies appear impossible to beat when forward Henry Coleman III scores in double figures. A&M is 7-0 when Coleman has 10 points or more.

Yet, Coleman is only A&M’s third-highest scorer with an 11.1 average. Guards Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps average 15.8 and 13.1 points, respectively.

The Aggies are also deep, with guard Manny Obaseki and forwards Pharrel Payne, Andersson Garcia and Solomon Washington all having multiple games scoring in double figures.